TWO-WAY TEASER

TWO sets of clues but the answers are the same... CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 Behind the scenes, there’s a player to exclude from the team (8)

5 Used to be hard, initially, to

clean up (4)

8 Remain where the river takes a

bend (4)

9 She gave the winner a

first-class return (8)

10 At the start of play, they go to

work with a sneer, perhaps (7) 12 Now’s the time to dally, albeit

lacking the £50 (5)

13 Things that go bust in the

dark (6)

15 Quite new, and only about a

hundredth of a dollar (6) 17 Airman too quick off the

mark? (5)

18 Mark retains us in support (7) 22 After the fraud, suffered a wound and made only awkward progress (8) 23 Rise high, being so warmhearted (4)

24 Take pets for a walk (4) 25 Alarming, maybe, in a

borderline case (8)

DOWN

1 As played by a swimmer with

nothing on? (7)

2 Stop or start a car with no

difficulty (5)

3 One who wanders right

across? (5)

4 Speed at which to raise one’s

cap to the head of education (4) 6 Shorten a span? (7) 7 Burdensome character to

play (5)

11 Go in for a bit of

entertainment (5)

12 Steer badly and you may crash

into them! (5)

14 No cheerful winner shows a

wry face (7)

16 It helps a climber get a grasp of

things (7)

17 Safety devices a fathead

employs? (5)

19 Taking orders from some

bounder? (5)

20 Not the hiker’s favourite

fruit! (5)

21 Criticise for having left uncle

out? (4)

QUICK CLUES ACROSS

1 Rear scenery (8)

5 Cleanse (4)

8 Remain (4)

9 Historic queen (8) 10 Batsmen 1 and 2 (7) 12 At present (5)

13 Dark times (6) 15 Modern (6)

17 Pilot (5)

18 Keep up (7)

22 Walked unsteadily (8) 23 Fly upwards (4) 24 Pace (4)

25 On the edge (8)

DOWN 1 Wind instrument (7) 2 Discontinue (5) 3 Wanderer (5) 4 Speed (4)

6 Curtail (7)

7 Weighty (5)

11 Go into (5)

12 Large plants (5) 14 Wry face (7)

16 Plant tentacle (7) 17 Circuit breakers (5) 19 Beneath (5)

20 Oak fruit (5) 21 Close noisily (4)